Reds edge past City to register friendly win

Mark Ochieng’s goal helped Adelaide United record a 1-0 win over NPL outfit Adelaide City in a pre-season friendly at the Marden Sports Complex on Thursday night.

Head Coach, Marco Kurz entrusted Baba Diawara to lead the line up front, while Ersan Gülüm featured alongside Taylor Regan in the heart of the defence. Karim Matmour was deployed in midfield and partnered Nathan Konstandopoulos in an advanced two-man pivot.

The match began at a searing intensity with Adelaide throwing numbers forward and pressing City high up the park.

Their endeavour was rewarded as Ochieng opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Matmour threaded a defence-splitting pass to Diawara, who cut the ball to the 20-year-old and he tapped in from close range.

However, besides the goal, City remained organised defensively and limited the Reds to only half chances during the opening half hour.

The Black and Whites started to attack with more purpose closer to the break, but they failed to test goalkeeper Paul Izzo.

Nic Bucco flashed a speculative long-range effort well off-target as he was given room to shoot.

In the second-half, Kurz made several alterations as Daniel Margush, Jordan Elsey, Ryan Strain, Ryan Kitto, Jordan O’Doherty, trialist Elvis Kamsoba, and Isaías all entered the fray at the re-start.

The new faces did not hinder Adelaide’s momentum as they continued to control the majority of proceedings.

Thirteen minutes from time, substitute Lachlan Brook dragged a low shot wide of the target as Adelaide looked for a second.

Although United did not muster any genuine opportunities from an attacking perspective in the second stanza, defensively the Reds were impenetrable in the fast-paced affair.